Merrill will probably respond to you on this. I find the crushed to be a little watery but it would probably be okay. there are so many variations to Bolognese I don' think it matters what type of tomato you use, they all taste good once it cooks down.

I make bolognese more times than I care to admit (not Merrill's version) and use either whole, chopped or crushed depending on what is in the pantry. If it is too liquidy I either let it cook longer or turn up the heat a bit. The thing with bolognese is it should cook slow and long and then it has the great, rich flavor. Unfortunately, I usually don't have the time so often do it quick and shorter.....just taste as you go and adjust.

Should be OK; the texture will be a little different. However, it seems to me that the better quality tomatoes are usually the ones canned whole, though it will depend on the brand. In particular, with the popular "Cento" brand the whole tomatoes are imported from Italy, while the diced and crushed (though I must say they're not bad) are domestic.

This almost like debating what type of clothespin is better. The point is that they both work. True Bolognese isn't really a tomato laden preparation anyway. The meat is the most important thing. Fresh vine ripe tomatoes are best, so work down from there. And just as a note, in Italy tomato puree tends to be much looser than the canned stuff you find here.

This almost like debating what type of clothespin is better. The point is that they both work. True Bolognese isn't really a tomato laden preparation anyway. The meat is the most important thing. Fresh vine ripe tomatoes are best, so work down from there. And just as a note, in Italy tomato puree tends to be much looser than the canned stuff you find here.